WITTON Albion have suspended manager Eddie Bishop after last Tuesday's explosive Cheshire Cup tie at Woodley Sports.

He has been relieved of his duties by chairman Mike Worthington, who is waiting to see a referee's report from the game.

Bishop was therefore missing from his team's defeat at Ossett Albion on Saturday, while his assistant Charlie Boyd stood by him and also stayed away.

Boyd and goalkeeper Greg Price were sent off at Woodley, while Bishop was ordered from the dug-out for refusing to sit down.

After the final whistle Bishop, whose side lost 3-2 to an injury-time winner, then had to be restrained from approaching the referee.

Bishop told the Guardian that he is now waiting to see what Worthington's next move will be before he decides on his future at the club.

"I'm shocked and upset by the action that's been taken, but we'll just have to wait and see," said the manager.

"I'm not saying what I did was right. I walked on the pitch to question the referee about the sendings off and I probably shouldn't have done that.

"But I don't think walking on the pitch is that bad a thing and I think it's been made out to be something it wasn't."

Worthington has taken this unusual action before, when he also suspended striker Steve Haw last season while he awaited a report regarding an alleged confrontation with an official.

"This suspension is in relation to the standards we set as a football club," said the chairman.

"The same decision was taken in respect to Steve Haw last year and both are in relation to behaviour in connection with match officials.

"There are standards required by the Football Association and punishments they can hand out, but as a club we have our own standards and can take our own action."

Director of football Terry Murphy has taken charge of first team affairs, but it's a big week for Witton to be in limbo.

On Saturday, they host Whitley Bay in the second qualifying round of the AXA sponsored FA Cup.

Bishop's suspension has also frustrated him after the progress he feels he was making with the team.

He added: "We were picking up. We had a good FA cup win and I really fancied us for Ossett away on Saturday. If we'd won we could have been in the top eight or nine."